Youth pastor accused of killing his wife at Zion National Park dies before court hearing

26 Jun 2026 • 9:08 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Youth pastor accused of killing his wife at Zion National Park dies before court hearing

  • David Vander Meer, a former youth pastor and Las Vegas school counselor, was arrested Monday in Las Vegas by U.S. Marshals on charges of murder and insurance fraud.
  • The charges stemmed from the 2006 death of his wife, Bernadette Vander Meer, who fell approximately 1,200 feet from the Angels Landing trail in Zion National Park.
  • The investigation into her 2006 death was recently reopened after law enforcement received a tip, the prosecutor’s office said.
  • Vander Meer died in custody on Thursday before a scheduled extradition hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court, where Judge Eric Goodman announced his passing.
  • Las Vegas police later said that a 49-year-old inmate died after being transported from the Clark County Detention Center to a hospital for treatment following "self-inflicted injuries."

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